In Historia Apostolica 2. 40–95, Arator's attitude to the text of the Acts of the Apostles is evident: namely, that it is a commentary rather than a ...
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In Historia Apostolica 2. 40–95, Arator's attitude to the text of the Acts of the Apostles is evident: namely, that it is a commentary rather than a paraphrase. After a shortened introduction, Arator concentrates on three episodes of traditional sacramental importance: the crossing of the Red Sea, the miracle of Horeb, and the raining down of manna, none of which is explicitly mentioned in Acts. For Arator, the speech is a piece of baptismal teaching comparable with 1 Corinthians 10: 2–4. However, the speech in Acts does not refer even obliquely to baptism. The baptismal connection is inserted entirely by Arator, not in paraphrase but in comment. This chapter examines the equivocal nature of the metaphorical interpretation of the waters of the Red Sea, the idea of the superiority of the Christian veritas over the Jewish figura and the inability of the Jews to recognize it, and the interpretation of the waters of the Red Sea as prefiguring the mingled blood and water which flowed from the side of the crucified Christ.Less

Iustis Via, Sontibus Unda The Crossing of the Red Sea

Richard Hillier

Published in print: 1993-05-20

In Historia Apostolica 2. 40–95, Arator's attitude to the text of the Acts of the Apostles is evident: namely, that it is a commentary rather than a paraphrase. After a shortened introduction, Arator concentrates on three episodes of traditional sacramental importance: the crossing of the Red Sea, the miracle of Horeb, and the raining down of manna, none of which is explicitly mentioned in Acts. For Arator, the speech is a piece of baptismal teaching comparable with 1 Corinthians 10: 2–4. However, the speech in Acts does not refer even obliquely to baptism. The baptismal connection is inserted entirely by Arator, not in paraphrase but in comment. This chapter examines the equivocal nature of the metaphorical interpretation of the waters of the Red Sea, the idea of the superiority of the Christian veritas over the Jewish figura and the inability of the Jews to recognize it, and the interpretation of the waters of the Red Sea as prefiguring the mingled blood and water which flowed from the side of the crucified Christ.

The exodus event reached its climax with the passage of the Hebrews through the sea on Egypt's border, where Pharaoh's forces that had pursued the escaping Israelites met their doom, according to the ...
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The exodus event reached its climax with the passage of the Hebrews through the sea on Egypt's border, where Pharaoh's forces that had pursued the escaping Israelites met their doom, according to the Bible. By this the Israelites' liberation from Egypt and the oppressive hand of Pharaoh was achieved, and they celebrated this triumph with song on the sea's shore in the Sinai. However, the question remains: Where is this “sea?” In a review of English translations of the Old Testament, one finds the body of water called “the sea,” “the Red Sea,” and the “Sea of Reeds,” revealing the uncertainty found in the Hebrew and Greek versions. The nature of the sea and its location are problems that can only be resolved with a careful examination of the biblical text and its various manuscript traditions.Less

The Problem of the Re(e)d Sea

James K. Hoffmeier

Published in print: 1999-05-27

The exodus event reached its climax with the passage of the Hebrews through the sea on Egypt's border, where Pharaoh's forces that had pursued the escaping Israelites met their doom, according to the Bible. By this the Israelites' liberation from Egypt and the oppressive hand of Pharaoh was achieved, and they celebrated this triumph with song on the sea's shore in the Sinai. However, the question remains: Where is this “sea?” In a review of English translations of the Old Testament, one finds the body of water called “the sea,” “the Red Sea,” and the “Sea of Reeds,” revealing the uncertainty found in the Hebrew and Greek versions. The nature of the sea and its location are problems that can only be resolved with a careful examination of the biblical text and its various manuscript traditions.

This chapter presents a geohistory of the Red Sea in order to articulate its basic setting in the long term, as it has come to be imagined today. It first considers the origin of the name “Red” and ...
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This chapter presents a geohistory of the Red Sea in order to articulate its basic setting in the long term, as it has come to be imagined today. It first considers the origin of the name “Red” and the appellation “Red Sea” before describing the sea's geological structure. It then looks at available evidence suggesting that the Red Sea was the site of some of the earliest human settlement and navigation, and more specifically, that humans have been interacting with the sea and its coast since time immemorial. It also discusses the foundational long-term features of the spacetime signified by the name “the Red Sea” and offers a narrative emplotment of the place. Finally, it examines the dynamics of coffee as a distinct feature of the Ottoman Red Sea world.Less

The Place in the Middle : A Geohistory of the Red Sea

Alexis Wick

Published in print: 2016-01-19

This chapter presents a geohistory of the Red Sea in order to articulate its basic setting in the long term, as it has come to be imagined today. It first considers the origin of the name “Red” and the appellation “Red Sea” before describing the sea's geological structure. It then looks at available evidence suggesting that the Red Sea was the site of some of the earliest human settlement and navigation, and more specifically, that humans have been interacting with the sea and its coast since time immemorial. It also discusses the foundational long-term features of the spacetime signified by the name “the Red Sea” and offers a narrative emplotment of the place. Finally, it examines the dynamics of coffee as a distinct feature of the Ottoman Red Sea world.

The biblical data in the Torah and elsewhere in the Bible are reviewed to show that the sea crossing tradition is consistently remembered throughout the Old Testament. The Reed Sea or yam sûp (the ...
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The biblical data in the Torah and elsewhere in the Bible are reviewed to show that the sea crossing tradition is consistently remembered throughout the Old Testament. The Reed Sea or yam sûp (the Hebrew reading), not the Red Sea (of the Greek tradition), is accepted as the correct interpretation for the sea crossed in the exodus story. The author’s archaeological excavations at Tell el-Borg and geological research in North Sinai, along with current excavations at Tell Hebua (i.e., Tjaru/Sile), Tell Abu Sefêh, and Tell el-Herr, are used to shed new light on the ancient realities of Egypt’s frontier zone. The search for Migdol of Exodus 14:2 in North Sinai is discussed. As a result of the new evidence obtained since 1999, a different route is proposed for the exodus from Egypt than the one suggested in the author’s previous book, Israel in Egypt (Oxford University Press, 1997), and new evidence is adduced for locating p3 twfy of Egyptian texts and equating it with yam sûp or Reed Sea.Less

The Location of the Re(e)d Sea

James K. Hoffmeier

Published in print: 2005-05-29

The biblical data in the Torah and elsewhere in the Bible are reviewed to show that the sea crossing tradition is consistently remembered throughout the Old Testament. The Reed Sea or yam sûp (the Hebrew reading), not the Red Sea (of the Greek tradition), is accepted as the correct interpretation for the sea crossed in the exodus story. The author’s archaeological excavations at Tell el-Borg and geological research in North Sinai, along with current excavations at Tell Hebua (i.e., Tjaru/Sile), Tell Abu Sefêh, and Tell el-Herr, are used to shed new light on the ancient realities of Egypt’s frontier zone. The search for Migdol of Exodus 14:2 in North Sinai is discussed. As a result of the new evidence obtained since 1999, a different route is proposed for the exodus from Egypt than the one suggested in the author’s previous book, Israel in Egypt (Oxford University Press, 1997), and new evidence is adduced for locating p3 twfy of Egyptian texts and equating it with yam sûp or Reed Sea.

This chapter examines the creation of the Red Sea as an object of knowledge and power through war, trade, and science. It looks at the dramatic expansion of European (and mainly British) military ...
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This chapter examines the creation of the Red Sea as an object of knowledge and power through war, trade, and science. It looks at the dramatic expansion of European (and mainly British) military power over the region, and the actual production of the Red Sea as a scientific object, culminating in its thorough charting in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. It considers how the scientific invention of the Red Sea not only brought it into being as an object that could be defined textually and pictorially, and therefore subjected to imperial power from afar; it also indicated by its own spectacle which power ought to dominate that new space. The chapter shows that this becoming-scientific of the Red Sea went hand in hand with British imperial expansion in the region (and the world). It also discusses the eventual rise to hegemony of these spatial and temporal notions, along with their internalization by the Ottomans and Egyptians, who adopt the category “Red Sea” in the 1850s and beyond.Less

The Scientific Invention of the Red Sea

Alexis Wick

Published in print: 2016-01-19

This chapter examines the creation of the Red Sea as an object of knowledge and power through war, trade, and science. It looks at the dramatic expansion of European (and mainly British) military power over the region, and the actual production of the Red Sea as a scientific object, culminating in its thorough charting in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. It considers how the scientific invention of the Red Sea not only brought it into being as an object that could be defined textually and pictorially, and therefore subjected to imperial power from afar; it also indicated by its own spectacle which power ought to dominate that new space. The chapter shows that this becoming-scientific of the Red Sea went hand in hand with British imperial expansion in the region (and the world). It also discusses the eventual rise to hegemony of these spatial and temporal notions, along with their internalization by the Ottomans and Egyptians, who adopt the category “Red Sea” in the 1850s and beyond.

This chapter charts the history of the principal Red-Sea ports connecting to the Egyptian Nile in the medieval period: al-Qulzum, Quseir and ‘Aydhab. Al-Qulzum, at modern Suez, was for a time at the ...
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This chapter charts the history of the principal Red-Sea ports connecting to the Egyptian Nile in the medieval period: al-Qulzum, Quseir and ‘Aydhab. Al-Qulzum, at modern Suez, was for a time at the mouth of a Nile-Red Sea canal, and also served the relatively short overland crossings to Cairo/Fustat and the Mediterranean at al-Farama. ‘Aydhab, at the southern extreme of Egyptian influence, flourished particularly during the Fatimid era as a port serving Arabia and Indian Ocean connections, despite the long overland journey to and from the Nile. Quseir, at the closest point in Upper Egypt between Nile and Red Sea, came to prominence in the Ayyubid and Mamluk eras. The chapter examines the navigational advantages and disadvantages of each location, and compares these with the chronology of their respective prosperities. It concludes that geo-politics, rather than navigational considerations, prevailed in the use of these ports in the medieval period.Less

Ports of the Red Sea

John P. Cooper

Published in print: 2015-01-14

This chapter charts the history of the principal Red-Sea ports connecting to the Egyptian Nile in the medieval period: al-Qulzum, Quseir and ‘Aydhab. Al-Qulzum, at modern Suez, was for a time at the mouth of a Nile-Red Sea canal, and also served the relatively short overland crossings to Cairo/Fustat and the Mediterranean at al-Farama. ‘Aydhab, at the southern extreme of Egyptian influence, flourished particularly during the Fatimid era as a port serving Arabia and Indian Ocean connections, despite the long overland journey to and from the Nile. Quseir, at the closest point in Upper Egypt between Nile and Red Sea, came to prominence in the Ayyubid and Mamluk eras. The chapter examines the navigational advantages and disadvantages of each location, and compares these with the chronology of their respective prosperities. It concludes that geo-politics, rather than navigational considerations, prevailed in the use of these ports in the medieval period.

This authoritative and sweeping compendium, the second volume in an organized survey of the Greek settlements founded or refounded in the Hellenistic period, provides historical narratives, detailed ...
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This authoritative and sweeping compendium, the second volume in an organized survey of the Greek settlements founded or refounded in the Hellenistic period, provides historical narratives, detailed references, citations, and commentaries on all the settlements in Syria, The Red Sea Basin, and North Africa from 331 to 31 B.C.E. Organized geographically, the volume pulls together discoveries and debates from dozens of widely scattered archaeological and epigraphic projects. The text's breadth of focus enables this book to provide more than a compilation of information; the volume also contributes to ongoing questions and will point the way toward new avenues of inquiry.Less

The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa

Getzel Cohen

Published in print: 2006-03-10

This authoritative and sweeping compendium, the second volume in an organized survey of the Greek settlements founded or refounded in the Hellenistic period, provides historical narratives, detailed references, citations, and commentaries on all the settlements in Syria, The Red Sea Basin, and North Africa from 331 to 31 B.C.E. Organized geographically, the volume pulls together discoveries and debates from dozens of widely scattered archaeological and epigraphic projects. The text's breadth of focus enables this book to provide more than a compilation of information; the volume also contributes to ongoing questions and will point the way toward new avenues of inquiry.

This chapter suggests that insufficient attention has been paid in accounts of north-east African history to the role of the Ottoman Turks. With the capture of Egypt from its Mamluk rulers in 1517, ...
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This chapter suggests that insufficient attention has been paid in accounts of north-east African history to the role of the Ottoman Turks. With the capture of Egypt from its Mamluk rulers in 1517, the Ottomans established their first foothold in Africa. However, several factors drew them further into the region. First, there was a threat presented by the Portuguese, who sought to establish a monopoly on the valuable Indian Ocean trade and who challenged Ottoman control of the Red Sea and the pilgrimage routes to Mecca and Medina. Second, the Ottomans wished to secure control over Africa's valuable exports, slaves and gold. Third, in accordance with the sultans' quest for legitimacy as rulers of an Islamic empire, their long-term aim was the inclusion of all north-east Africa into Ottoman territory and hence the Dar al-Islam.Less

Ottoman Frontier Policies in North-East Africa, 1517–1914

JOHN ALEXANDER

Published in print: 2009-12-03

This chapter suggests that insufficient attention has been paid in accounts of north-east African history to the role of the Ottoman Turks. With the capture of Egypt from its Mamluk rulers in 1517, the Ottomans established their first foothold in Africa. However, several factors drew them further into the region. First, there was a threat presented by the Portuguese, who sought to establish a monopoly on the valuable Indian Ocean trade and who challenged Ottoman control of the Red Sea and the pilgrimage routes to Mecca and Medina. Second, the Ottomans wished to secure control over Africa's valuable exports, slaves and gold. Third, in accordance with the sultans' quest for legitimacy as rulers of an Islamic empire, their long-term aim was the inclusion of all north-east Africa into Ottoman territory and hence the Dar al-Islam.

This chapter considers the nature of the relationship between the navigational world of the Egyptian Nile already described with the equally seasonal cycles of navigation taking place on the ...
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This chapter considers the nature of the relationship between the navigational world of the Egyptian Nile already described with the equally seasonal cycles of navigation taking place on the Mediterranean and Red seas. It identifies the Mediterranean as a basin in which navigation was largely limited to the March-November period, and considers the implications of this timing for navigators and merchants effecting an interface between the two navigational spheres, both in terms of when interaction could take place, and where. It then considers the interface between the Nile and the Red Sea ports of al-Qulzum, al-Quseir and ‘Aydhab, mediated by sometimes lengthy journeys across the Eastern Desert, and considers the relative merits of the various routes between lower Egypt and the destinations to the south of Egypt on the Red Sea.Less

Onward Connections: : The Mediterranean and Red Seas

John P. Cooper

Published in print: 2015-01-14

This chapter considers the nature of the relationship between the navigational world of the Egyptian Nile already described with the equally seasonal cycles of navigation taking place on the Mediterranean and Red seas. It identifies the Mediterranean as a basin in which navigation was largely limited to the March-November period, and considers the implications of this timing for navigators and merchants effecting an interface between the two navigational spheres, both in terms of when interaction could take place, and where. It then considers the interface between the Nile and the Red Sea ports of al-Qulzum, al-Quseir and ‘Aydhab, mediated by sometimes lengthy journeys across the Eastern Desert, and considers the relative merits of the various routes between lower Egypt and the destinations to the south of Egypt on the Red Sea.

This chapter explores the land routes in the Eastern Desert from about 30 B.C.E. until the sixth century C.E. The Romans enhanced the previously existing road networks by refurbishing, enlarging, and ...
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This chapter explores the land routes in the Eastern Desert from about 30 B.C.E. until the sixth century C.E. The Romans enhanced the previously existing road networks by refurbishing, enlarging, and extending older Ptolemaic routes and renovating stops and stations along them. The maps, itineraries, and lists of road stations, inns, towns, military garrisons, and cities throughout the empire were likely compiled by individuals of varying abilities on official or unofficial missions over long periods of time. Roman settlements in the Eastern Desert were connected with the road system and cannot be understood apart from it. The elaborate road system with its praesidia and hydreumata, mines, quarries, and other settlements of uncertain function, together with the Red Sea ports, dramatically shows the importance attached to the Eastern Desert and Red Sea coast by the Roman imperial and provincial governments, the military, civilian entrepreneurs, and others.Less

Nile-Red Sea Roads

Steven E. Sidebotham

Published in print: 2011-02-02

This chapter explores the land routes in the Eastern Desert from about 30 B.C.E. until the sixth century C.E. The Romans enhanced the previously existing road networks by refurbishing, enlarging, and extending older Ptolemaic routes and renovating stops and stations along them. The maps, itineraries, and lists of road stations, inns, towns, military garrisons, and cities throughout the empire were likely compiled by individuals of varying abilities on official or unofficial missions over long periods of time. Roman settlements in the Eastern Desert were connected with the road system and cannot be understood apart from it. The elaborate road system with its praesidia and hydreumata, mines, quarries, and other settlements of uncertain function, together with the Red Sea ports, dramatically shows the importance attached to the Eastern Desert and Red Sea coast by the Roman imperial and provincial governments, the military, civilian entrepreneurs, and others.